Excel 2016

Introduction
Course objectives:
• Design and create a spreadsheet using:
Labels, Values and Formulas
• Format a spreadsheet
• Present data in charts
• Manage output

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Reproduced or adapted from original content provided under Creative Commons license by
The University of Queensland Library
 UQ Library
Staff and Student I.T. Training

Table of Contents
Getting Started with Excel ...................................................................................................................... 3
Create a New Workbook ...................................................................................... 3
Screen Overview .................................................................................................................................... 3
Labels, Values and Formulas ................................................................................................................. 4
Adding data to a worksheet .................................................................................. 4
Adding Formulas to a worksheet .......................................................................... 4
Autofill ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Autofill ................................................................................................................... 5
Create a custom Autofill list .................................................................................. 5
Cell References ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Relative References.................................................................................................................... 6
Absolute References................................................................................................................... 6
Using Absolute cell references ............................................................................. 6
Functions ................................................................................................................................................ 7
Using functions in formulas .................................................................................. 7
Formatting Cells ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Manually formatting cells ...................................................................................... 8
Remove formatting ............................................................................................... 9
Freeze panes ....................................................................................................... 9
Unfreeze panes .................................................................................................... 9
Repeat headings for printing ................................................................................ 9
Cell Comments ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Adding a cell Comment ...................................................................................... 10
Moving and Copying Data .................................................................................................................... 11
Rename, move or copy a worksheet .................................................................. 11
Move data ........................................................................................................... 11
Re-order rows or columns .................................................................................. 12
Transpose data .................................................................................................. 12
Copy data ........................................................................................................... 12
Copy formulas .................................................................................................... 13
Create a dynamic link ......................................................................................... 13
Sparklines ............................................................................................................................................. 13
Insert Sparklines ................................................................................................. 13
Delete Sparklines ............................................................................................... 14
Charting ................................................................................................................................................ 14
Create a chart ..................................................................................................... 14
Modify a chart ..................................................................................................... 15
Printing .................................................................................................................................................. 16
Preview and print a worksheet ........................................................................... 16
Defining a print area ........................................................................................... 16
Excel Help Facility ................................................................................................................................ 17

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Getting Started with Excel

Create a New Workbook

1. Double click on the Excel icon to start

your spreadsheet session.

Screen Overview
2
1 3

4 5

Provides access to the Backstage View and the program control

1 File Tab
centre.

2 Quick Access Bar Always visible and provides access to frequently used tools.

Offers a visual reference to all tools available in Excel. Can be

3 Ribbon
minimised when not actively in use.
Excel offers a customisable status bar which shows functions in
4 Status Bar
highlight
Allows the user to change views via buttons and magnification options
5 Worksheet Views
via slider.

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Labels, Values and Formulas

Formulas = Calculations (Always begins with
Labels = Text Values = Numbers
an equal sign, ‘=’)

Adding data to a worksheet

Step 1 – Adding labels

Step 2 – Adding values

Adding Formulas to a worksheet

Step 3 – Adding formulas
You can use cell references in formulas to calculate results in a number of ways:

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Autofill
You can use the AutoFill tool to fill data into worksheet cells. You can also have Excel
automatically continue a series of numbers, number and text combinations, dates, or time periods,
based on a pattern that you establish.

Autofill
1. Enter formula using Autosum in cell B7
2. Move to bottom right hand corner to
display ‘Autofill’ mouse pointer. ‘ ’
3. Drag across cells (C7:E7)

Create a custom Autofill list

1. Select cells A2:A6
2. Click on File Tab
3. Select Options
4. Select Advanced from left panel
5. Go to General section
6. Click on Edit Custom Lists… button

7. Check range defined is $A$2:$A$6

8. Click on Import
List entries will be displayed.

9. Click on OK

10. Go to any cell

11. Enter any data item from list
12. Drag Autofill pointer to fill custom list

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Cell References
Relative References
Excel adjusts the cell references and copies a formula relative to the answer cell.
By default cell references are relative cell references unless you specify otherwise.
Absolute References
There will be times when you want to compare a range of values to a specific cell. Absolute cell
references are denoted with $ preceding each col/row reference. i.e. $F$4

Using Absolute cell references

We want to find out what percentage each stores' sales were from the total sales.
We need to consider absolute references in our formula to specify a value in a fixed location
to be used in calculations completed by Autofill.

1. Enter heading “% of Total Sales” in

column G
2. Enter the formula =F2/F7 in cell G2
3. Click the % button in the
Number group
4. Autofill down to cell G7

These are relative cell references and may give

unexpected results when we use Autofill. To ensure
we always refer to the ‘total sales’ figure in our
calculations this cell has to be an absolute reference

1. Go to cell G2
2. Click the F7 reference in formula
3. Press the function key F4 to change
the reference to Absolute; $F$7
4. Autofill down

Using absolute cell references means this formula can

be duplicated accurately.

The formulas could be entered manually in

each cell but Autofill will save time and
provide consistent results.

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Functions
A function is a predefined formula that performs a particular type of computation. All you have
to do to use a function is supply the values that the function uses when performing its
calculations - these are the arguments of the function.

Using functions in formulas

Using the Average function from Autosum button
1. Go to cell B9
2. Click the Arrow alongside the
Autosum button on Home tab
3. Select ‘Average’
4. Confirm the range is correct
5. Press Enter

Using the Maximum function on the formula bar

1. Go to cell B10
2. Click the Fx button on the formula
bar
3. In the Insert Function dialogue
box, click on the ‘MAX’ function
4. Click OK
5. Indicate the range for the maximum
value
6. Click on OK

Using the Minimum function from Ribbon

1. Go to cell B11
2. Click on Formula tab on the ribbon
3. Click the More Functions
command button
4. Hover mouse over Statistical
5. Click on MIN function
6. Type in the range B2:B6
7. Click on OK

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Autofill Formulas
1. Select cells A9:A12
2. Click and drag Autofill tool to
Column E

Formatting Cells
The presentation of information can be adjusted by using the ribbon to format individually selected
elements or by applying a theme to a whole worksheet.

Manually formatting cells

NUMBER formats
1. Select the cell or range of cells you
want to change:B2:F11
2. Go to the Number group on the
Ribbon
3. Click the Arrow alongside General in
the number group
4. Click on a number format to apply.

CHARACTER Formats
1. Select the cell or range of cells you
want to change:A2:F11
2. Go to the Font group in the Ribbon
3. Click the Text Colour button
4. To apply a format, click once on your
chosen option
DATE Formats
Format a date to display the day it represents.
1. Enter your birth date into a cell
This will show the default format dd/mm/yyyy

2. Select this cell

3. Click on the Number group dialogue
box launcher on the Home tab
4. Select the custom option
5. Enter the format ‘dddd’
This will present your date as a day, however, the date
is still stored in the dd/mm/yyyy format.

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Remove formatting

To return data to the original formats

1. Go to the Home tab
2. Go to the Editing group
3. Click on Clear
4. Select ‘Clear Formats’

Freeze panes

1. Go to the View tab,

2. Click the arrow beside Freeze
Panes
3. Click Freeze Panes

Unfreeze panes

1. Go to the View tab,

2. Click the arrow beside Freeze Panes
button
3. Click Unfreeze Panes

Repeat headings for printing

1. Go to the Page Layout tab

2. Click Print Titles button
OR
• Click the Page Setup dialogue box
launcher button

3. Enter rows to repeat at top $1:$1

4. Click on OK

These rows will be printed at the top of each page. You can
also do the same for columns using the Columns to repeat
at left: option and select a column.
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Cell Comments
You may want to provide additional information about cell content. You can do this by adding a
comment which is hidden from view until selected.

Adding a cell Comment

Add a comment
1. Select cell Q2
2. Click on the Review tab
3. Click New Comment
4. Type a comment such as
5. “Formatted with dddd custom
format”
The comment will be displayed as a small red
triangle in the cell. Hover the mouse over the
cell and the comment will pop up.

To keep a comment visible, you can select the cell that contains the comment and then click Show/Hide
Comment in the Comments group on the Review tab. To display all comments with their cells on the worksheet,
click Show All Comments.

Edit a comment

1. Click the Review tab

2. Click Edit Comment

Delete a comment

1. Click the Review tab

2. Click Delete

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Moving and Copying Data

• When you move a formula, the cell references within the formula do not change no matter
what type of cell reference that you use. The formula will still refer to the original cell(s).
• When you copy a formula, the cell references may change based on the type of cell reference
that you use. They will try to recalculate based on the relative references in the formula.

Rename, move or copy a worksheet

1. Go to the Home tab

2. In the Cells group, click Format
3. Under Organize Sheets, click Move
or Copy Sheet
OR
• Right click on sheet tab

4. Select (new book)

5. Check Create a copy box
6. Click on OK

To book; allows you to choose the workbook the sheet

should move to. Open the destination workbook to see
it in the drop-down list.

Before sheet; allows you to indicate where the

selected sheet should be placed in the new location.

Create a copy; allows you to copy the worksheet

rather than move.

Move data
Move a cell or range of cells
1. Select the cells to move: A2:A7
2. On the Home tab, click
Cut
3. Go to destination cell; A20
4. Click Paste
OR
• Drag the border of the selection to
another location with the mouse.
You can only drag the selection on the same worksheet

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Re-order rows or columns

1. Select Column D
2. Hold Shift key
3. Drag the border of the selection to
the left edge of Column C
A green line will appear to indicate new column
position.

4. Release mouse and then release

Shift key
Columns will be re-ordered. This technique can also
be applied to rows and selected cell ranges.

Transpose data

1. Select cells A2:A7

2. Copy cells
3. Go to cell A15
4. Click Arrow below the Paste button
5. Select Paste Special…

Copy data
Copy a cell or range of cells
1. Select the cells to copy: A20:A26
2. On the Home tab,
click Copy
3. Go to destination cell; A2
4. On the Home tab, click
Paste
OR
• Hold CTRL key
• Drag the border of the selection to
another location with the mouse.
You can only drag the selection on the same worksheet

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Copy formulas
Copy a cell or range of cells containing formulas

1. Select the cells to copy: G2:G7

2. On the Home tab, click
Copy

3. Go to destination cell; F20

4. On the Home tab, click Paste
With relative cell references the destination of
the pasted formulas is important.

Create a dynamic link

1. Go to Sheet 3
2. Click in cell B2
3. Type =
4. Go to Sheet 1
5. Click on the cell you want to link to: F2
6. Press Enter
Check the formula bar for the cell content. The link to another sheet is referred to by =TabName!CellReference
The syntax for a link to an external workbook would be =[Filename]SheetTabName!CellReference

Sparklines
Sparklines are mini cell charts that help visualise table data.

Insert Sparklines

1. Select the cell H2

2. Click on the Insert Tab
3. Click Line in Sparklines group

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4. Select the range to be analysed,

B2:E2
5. Click on OK

6. Autofill the Sparklines down to fill in

other cells

Delete Sparklines

1. Select a Sparklines cell

2. Go to Design tab on Sparkline
Tools ribbon
3. Click on Clear button
4. Select Clear Selected Sparklines

Charting

Create a chart
1. Select the cells you wish to chart:
A1:E6
2. Click on the Insert Tab
3. Select a chart type

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To quickly create a default chart, select the

data that you want to use for the chart, then
press ALT+F1 – this displays the chart as
an embedded chart.

Formatting a Chart

Modify a chart
1. Click on the inserted chart
You will see a contextual tab above the ribbon

2. Click on the Design tab or Format tab

to access the appropriate tools

3. On the Design tab Click on Add Chart Column Chart Pie Chart
Element button to add or remove
elements such as Titles, Labels, Error
Bars and Legends.
Note that the elements available will
change depending on the type of chart
in use

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Printing

Preview and print a worksheet

1. Click File tab in ribbon

2. Select the Print option

You will be presented with a Print preview of the

worksheet and options to choose the print settings.

3. Click the Print button

To return to your worksheet,

simply click on the Back button

Print a chart only

1. Select a chart
1. Click File tab
2. Select Print
Only the selected chart will print out.

Defining a print area

Set a print area

1. Select the cells to define the print

area. (A1:F11)
2. Go to the Page Setup group on
the Page Layout tab
3. Click Print Area
4. Click Set Print Area
Print areas are saved when you save the workbook.

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Clear a print area

5. Click anywhere on the worksheet
6. Go to the Page Setup group on the
Page Layout tab
7. Click Clear Print Area.

Excel Help Facility

If you need help with any application tools you
can get assistance by clicking in the Tell me
what you want to do… area on the ribbon.
This is located at the top right hand side of the
screen.

As you enter text the help options will give you

contextual answers. Choose one or keep
typing and press enter to find your desired help
option.

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